


Flip Of A Coin

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21653722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Clover wants to know if Qrow's semblance can be put under his control. Qrow doesn't believe it can be.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Comments: 17
Kudos: 480
Collections: rubess





	1. The Beginning

The mission went off without a hitch, something Qrow was certainly not used to. It wasn’t until they actually got back to Atlas that he let his guard down, worried the whole time that his semblance would finally rear its ugly head and he would have to like save the ship from falling out of the sky or something. After giving over their report to Ironwood, Qrow sighed and rolled his neck, wishing for a drink.

“Qrow!” Qrow turned to find Clover running over to him, a smile on his face.

“Yeah?” Qrow asked.

The other team members had left, team RWBY and JNR had left to find Penny and the Ace Ops had cleared out as well.

“Care to get a drink with me? I’m parched after that mission.” Clover said with an easy smile as he threw his arm around Qrow’s shoulders.

Qrow stiffened, his back going straight.

“Yeah, uhhh sorry, but I’m kind of tired, so I think I’m just gonna head to my room. Maybe… maybe next time.” Qrow pulled back before turning away.

Clover watched him go, confused. Was it something he said?

Qrow sighed as he rubbed his face. Nice going, Qrow. The guy was just trying to be nice and you ran away like a coward.

“Great.” he mumbled.

What a way to start off with this new team. Clover would definitely think the worst of him now. And yet, a flash of the Apathy’s face went through his mind and he shuddered. He had sworn to himself to cut back on his drinking, to cut it out completely if he could after that. But it was hard.

“Honestly.” he muttered as he kept walking.

The cold, sterile halls of Atlas were strange to him now. He had been to this school before, spent a lot of time here actually, but not recently. It looked like they had upgraded a lot since then. He turned the corner and jumped a bit, startled to see James Ironwood standing in front of the room he had been given. The two of them locked eyes and Qrow raised an eyebrow.

“Can I help you?” Qrow asked.

James lowered his fist, quickly coughing to cover his embarrassment. He hoped Qrow would never learn he had been standing outside his door for almost a minute, trying to gather his courage to knock.

“I just came to see if you were alright.” James stated.

Qrow blinked before shrugging.

“As good as I can be, I guess.” Qrow replied.

He looked between James and the door before waving his hand.

“Want to come in?” Qrow asked and James gave a stiff nod.

“I would… like that.” James stated.

They walked inside and the room was small, but clean. Better than ninety percent of the places Qrow had stayed, so he didn’t complain. He dropped his sword by the door, rolling his shoulders with a sigh. James kept his eyes on the wall stubbornly and Qrow had to hold back a smile. Same ole James.

“I hope your room is up to your standards.” James said politely and Qrow snorted.

“If you’ve seen half of the places I have stayed in, you wouldn’t ask me that stuff. It’s perfect, James.” Qrow said as he flopped down on the bed.

James grabbed a chair from nearby and sat down, ever the prim and proper general.

“I’m glad.” James said with a relieved sigh.

Qrow looked him over and frowned. He sat up a bit, staring.

“You want to tell me what’s really going on?” Qrow asked.

James looked at him, startled before he looked away. It was like he aged five years.

“It’s just… a lot. Before, it was simpler, but now?” James shook his head.

Qrow nodded, he could understand that stress. He had felt it himself when Ozpin had died and they weren’t sure if he was going to come back anytime soon. James looked at him and frowned.

“What about you? It’s seems like you’ve been through a lot.” James said.

Qrow rubbed his chin, not sure what to even talk about before he shifted. The weight in his breast pocket made him pause. Pulling out his flask, he stared at it.

“Qrow?” James called.

“I made a mistake, Jim. I made a mistake and it almost cost us all our lives.” Qrow whispered harshly.

James jerked back, eyes wide with shock.

“Qrow? What on Remnant are you talking about?” James asked.

Qrow held out the flask and James took it, uncertain.

“I need you to hold on to that for me.” Qrow stated.

James stared, mouth partly open.

“But… this was… Wasn’t this given to you by Summer?” James whispered.

Qrow nodded slowly, staring at the flask in his hand.

“It was, you’re right, but it’s done nothing to help me. So keep it.” Qrow pushed the flask away and James sat there, shaking his head.

“Qrow… what happened?” James asked.

Qrow squeezed his eyes shut, the Apathy’s mask still flashed in his mind’s eye.

“I almost got us killed, James. If it weren’t for Ruby, we wouldn’t be here. We would be dead.” Qrow stated.

James shook his head.

“Qrow, I don’t believe that. You would never put those kids in danger.” James stated.

Qrow’s fist hit the wall and James jumped.

“But I did! I was so fucking lost in my own head that I let my guard down, I ignored the danger I saw all around us, I focused on my own pain and fucking hell, James!” Qrow grabbed his own hair and tugged.

James had never seen Qrow so distressed. He put the flask on the table and gently grabbed Qrow’s hands, tugging them from his hair.

“Qrow, stop. You are hurting yourself and that isn’t going to make you feel any better.” James demanded.

The hands fell away and James was startled to find Qrow looking so broken and defeated. He held Qrow’s hands, trying to understand what had caused such a reaction.

“Qrow…. What happened?” James stressed.

Qrow swallowed and closed his eyes, tugging his hands away.

“The train crash left us stranded in the middle of a blizzard. The farmhouse seemed like a godsend at the time.” Qrow’s eyes became glassy and James frowned.

“And then… we found the bodies. Everyone there was still in their beds, it almost looked like they had just laid down and went to sleep, never to wake up again.” Qrow shook his head.

James’ brow furled. He couldn’t understand why someone would do that.

“Was it the whole family?” James asked.

“Yeah, everyone from the parents to the kids.” Qrow scrubbed his face.

How horrible. How awful. James felt his stomach turn.

“But you are better than that.” James stated.

“I was so… tired. Just so fucking tired. We all were. We were tired and cold and hungry, but me? I was just so tired of being tired. I found a bar in the back and I just drank. I drank until I couldn’t fucking see straight, until I passed out.” Qrow whispered.

He seemed ashamed and James could understand why. Qrow was an alcoholic, they all knew it, but the man was good at what he did and he never drank that much while on the job. He knew how dangerous it could be.

“I don’t understand.” James muttered.

Qrow closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped.

“It was a Grimm’s nest. A Grimm called Apathy was there.” Qrow shuddered, actually shuddered.

James frowned.

“I’ve never heard of it.” he admitted.

“Good, I hope you never hear of it, see it or come anywhere near it.” Qrow said.

“What made this Grimm so dangerous? Was it strong?” James asked hotly.

Qrow finally looked at him.

“This Grimm drain your will. They make you feel like everything is fine, even when it isn’t. They make you feel like if you just lay down and go to sleep, everything will be fine.” Qrow explained.

James could feel his heart start to race. He could only imagine how terrifying those Grimm must have been.

“But you took care of them, right?” James demanded.

Qrow turned his attention to his lap, staring.

“Qrow.” James called.

Qrow didn’t answer and suddenly, James understood. Qrow had been affected the worst. Ruby had saved them all while Qrow had been unable to fight. James sat back in his chair, stunned.

“I gave up, James. If it weren’t for those kids, I would have stayed there. Would have ended up like all those other poor souls.” Qrow explained.

There was something so vile about the thought, something so horrible that James couldn’t explain. Qrow was right, he had made a mistake.

“I see.” James muttered.

They were quiet for the longest time before James sighed.

“I suppose if I were in the same situation, I wouldn’t have done much better.” James said rubbing his eyes.

Qrow looked at him, eyebrow raised.

“How do you figure?” Qrow asked.

James rubbed his hands together.

“There are many here who would tell you I’ve lost my mind, completely and utterly lost it. Maybe I have, but if it keeps my country safe…” James shook his head.

“There have been times I thought about giving up. Handing the title off to someone else, thought maybe they could run it better than I could. Make better decisions than I could.” James sighed and Qrow frowned.

“I know you feel overwhelmed, but you’re the only one who can do this. You know that.” Qrow stated.

“I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier.” James turned to him and they both sighed.

“We are just two old bastards, huh Jim?” Qrow chuckled.

“Speak for yourself, I am still a young chicken.” James smirked and Qrow snorted.

The next morning, Qrow got up a bit earlier than usual. He took the time to wash his hair, trim his beard and attempt to make himself feel and look like a normal person. After making sure everything was in place, he opened his door, only to find Clover standing there.

“Hey! Great timing!” Clover said cheerfully.

“Uhh yeah.” Qrow trailed off, confused.

“I figured you would need help finding your way to the mess hall!” Clover said as Qrow closed the door behind him.

“I’ve been to Atlas before.” Qrow stated, hands in his pockets.

“Oh, actually, we moved the hall to the other side of the school!” Clover replied.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. He figured he was still smart enough to find it on his own, but he guessed he should be nice to this guy after how he acted yesterday.

“Thanks then. You’re right, I probably wouldn’t have found it before breakfast was over.” Qrow stated.

Clover beamed and Qrow was reminded of a dog for a second before he pushed that thought away.

“I’m glad. General Ironwood did say you all were our special guests after all.” Clover stated.

Qrow nodded. He wondered what they meant by special guests.

“So that mission yesterday went really well. General Ironwood was quite pleased.” Clover said.

Qrow looked at him, his eyes locking on the charm on his chest as he talked. Clover had tapped it earlier to activate his semblance, hadn’t he? It was shaped like a four leaf clover, but was there more to it than that?

“Is something wrong?” Clover asked curiously.

Qrow’s eyes shot up to his face, realizing he had spent the last few seconds just staring at Clover’s chest.

“Y-Your medal. I was just curious about it.” Qrow coughed, trying to hide his blush.

“Oh, this old thing? It was actually my dad’s. He was a general in the military. He’s the reason I joined.” Clover said proudly.

Qrow blinked.

“Really?” Qrow asked.

“Eeyup! This medal helped me get my semblance. You could say it’s my lucky charm!” Clover laughed and Qrow looked at it again.

It did seem pretty old, now that he was getting a good look at it. He eyed the other lucky charms Clover was wearing.

“All of them do the same thing?” Qrow asked.

“Yeah, pretty much. I tap them to activate my semblance. You do the same, right?” Clover asked.

Qrow blinked, staring at him.

“I ummm don’t activate my semblance. It’s always activated as far as I could ever find. It just does whatever it wants.” Qrow replied.

Clover paused, actually stopping in the hallway to look at him.

“What? Really?” Clover said in confusion.

“Yeah, I mean if there’s a trigger for it, I never figured it out.” Qrow admitted.

He was embarrassed to admit such a thing. He had tried for years to figure out what caused his misfortune to activate, but every time he thought he narrowed it down, something would happen and he would be back at square one. Clover tilted his head to the side.

“That’s strange. What about your parents? Couldn’t they help you figure it out?” Clover asked.

Qrow paused and looked away.

“Yeah, not everyone is as lucky as you are.” Qrow said coldly.

Clover seemed to catch on because he became rather sheepish.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.” Clover replied.

Qrow sighed deeply.

“Let’s talk about something else.” Qrow stated.

“Right! Right.” Clover agreed.

Both of them went quiet, not sure what to talk about as they made it to the mess hall.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby was waving from one of the tables and Qrow smiled as he waved back.

“Uncle huh?” Clover muttered.

“Hm?” Qrow asked.

“Well, Harriet and I had a bet going.” Clover said laughing.

“A bet about what?” Qrow asked.

“If Ruby was your daughter or not.” Clover stated.

Qrow choked.

“What! No! God, what is with people and thinking Ruby is my daughter! Ruby’s my niece, kind of. My sister is Yang’s mom and it seemed odd to have Yang call me uncle and not Ruby.” Qrow replied hotly.

Clover blinked.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” Clover stated.

“Honestly, between you guys and the staff at Beacon.” Qrow grumbled.

They walked over to the head table and sat down. Winter wasn’t there, but James was, who gave them a nod as they sat down next to the rest of the Ace Ops. Despite their outward appearances of calm, cool and collected, Harriet kept making jokes under her breath that would send Elm into a fit of giggles every time and Clover was just trying to keep they under control while Marrow egged Harriet on.

“You are going to get us thrown out again.” Clover hissed as Elm snorted and almost slammed her face into the table.

“This happens a lot?” Qrow asked, amused.

“You have no idea.” Vine replied with a long suffering sigh.

Qrow snickered, enjoying the simple pleasure of having breakfast that was good and hot, company that wasn’t held down by trauma and fear. A hand on his shoulder made him look up.

“Qrow, when you are done, can I talk to you in my office?” James asked.

Qrow had a feeling he knew what James wanted.

“Sure, Jimbo.” Qrow waved him off.

“It’s James…” James sighed before walking away.

“Ohhh, you got called to the principal's office.” Marrow teased with a wink.

Qrow rolled his eyes.

“Please, they gave up sending me to the principal’s office second year. They would just send Glynda after me.” Qrow said as he stood up and left.

Clover watched Qrow go and wondered.

“Hey, Remnant to Clover, hello?” Harriet called, waving a hand in front of his face.

Clover rolled his eyes, pushing her hand down.

“Yes?” he asked.

“So did you find out anything?” Elm asked curiously.

“A little.” Clover stated.

“Well then, spill!” Harriet demanded.

“Yeah, we are all very curious about this so called Beacon team.” Vine stated.

“I mean, I don’t really care, but it’s at least something new to talk about.” Marrow said.

His tail gave him away, as it always did. Clover hummed.

“From what I can tell, Qrow has little to no control over his semblance.” Clover stated.

Their mouths dropped.

“Whattt? Are you serious?” Marrow asked.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Elm asked concerned.

“Especially a semblance like that.” Vine muttered.

“Enough. General Ironwood wouldn’t trust him this much if he didn’t know.” Clover stated.

They all seemed to take that into consideration for a moment. He then held his hand out and everyone looked at him.

“Also, Ruby is his niece. Pay up.” Clover smirked.

All of them groaned loudly before money was dropped in his hand.

“You uhh wanted to see me?” Qrow asked when he got to James’ office.

James nodded before dismissing Penny and Winter with a wave. Penny skipped out of the office happily, but Winter shot him a look as she passed.

“Ice queen.” he grumbled when she finally left.

The two of them were left alone and Qrow shifted slightly.

“Sit, there’s a few things I want to talk to you about.” James waved a hand and Qrow sat in the seat before his desk, slouching a bit just because he could.

“About?” Qrow asked.

“A lot of things, but my focus right now is on your team. Do you think they are ready to face Salem?” James demanded.

Qrow paused, he held himself still before he leaned his head back with a sigh.

“No, not one bit.” he replied.

James seemed shocked.

“Truly?” James asked.

“Honest and true, Jim. I don’t think they are nearly ready enough. Then again, I’m not either. Salem… just the thought of her makes my blood run cold. She has overwhelming power. I mean…” he trailed off before shaking his head.

“She got to Leo, Jim. He always was a coward, but I never, ever thought he would be willing to serve me and my team up on a silver platter to Salem.” Qrow breathed out.

James looked down, hands clenched into fists. He had gotten the report after it happened, had found out about Leo and his betrayal much too late to be of any use. That betrayal was one of the reasons he was being so cautious now.

“I have the report from that attack. My soldiers were called in to help with the clean up. It’s mostly incomplete. Leo, I can’t say we were always friends, but to think…” James trailed off.

Qrow bit his lip and then looked at James.

“How much… does that report say exactly?” Qrow asked.

“It’s not exactly the most detailed since it was based on the evidence we found and witness statements. It’s pretty vague at best. Why?” James asked.

Qrow rubbed his neck.

“There’s something I want to add there, but I’m worried Winter will see it.” Qrow replied.

“Winter? I didn’t think you cared about her that much.” James said confused.

“Well, it pertains to her sister, so I would feel bad not saying anything.” Qrow shrugged.

“Weiss? How so?” James asked.

“Cinder was one of the people that attacked. She… almost killed Weiss. If Jaune hadn’t gained his semblance just then…” Qrow shook his head.

James gasped at him, amazed and horrified at the same time.

“I see. I understand now. Thank you for letting me know. Do you know who else was helping with the attack? We know the White Fang, including their leader Adam, as well as Emerald, Mercury, Hazel from Salem’s side. Anyone else?” James flipped open the report and Qrow paused.

He swallowed hard.

“Raven Branwen.” he finally said.

James’ head snapped up, staring at him.

“Qrow…?” James whispered.

“I saw her. With my own two eyes. She left with Cinder to get the relic, but when Yang went to stop her, she was already gone, but the relic was safe. There was another woman with them too, but she was dead by the time Yang got there.” Qrow explained.

James let out a breath.

“Qrow, you understand this changes everything, do you not? By adding Raven’s name, she will be hunted down. We’ve left her mostly alone because she was your sister, but after this, you can’t protect her anymore.” James stated.

Qrow nodded.

“I know, but we can’t leave this alone anymore. If she is working with Salem or even knows something more about the maidens, we need to find her and find out what she knows, no matter what.” Qrow stated.

James nodded and got to work, adding details to the report as they went. Qrow told him everything, about what he saw and experienced. In the end, Qrow felt tired and drained. They had been sitting there for hours and Qrow was ready to curl up in a ball and sleep.

“That’s it then.” James put his pen down and rubbed his wrist.

“My head hurts.” Qrow mumbled.

“I can imagine. It seems like you all have been through a lot. I wish I had been there.” James looked frustrated and Qrow chuckled.

“Relax, Jimmy. We were fine without big bad Ironwood coming to help us. For the most part.” Qrow shrugged.

“Well, I hope Atlas can proved the safety and protection you all deserve. You have come so far and I am happy you all are ok.” James stated.

Qrow got up and stretched, his back popping as James called Winter and Penny to come back.

“Are you gonna tell Winter?” Qrow asked.

James paused before nodding.

“I believe it is best. If Ms. Schnee gets upset, we can just say it was in the report.” James stated.

Qrow nodded and left as Penny and Winter came back. As he wandered the halls, he looked outside to see the Ace Ops working alongside RWBY and JNR. He watched for a little while as the groups interacted, but it seemed to him that the Ace Ops were trying hard just to be left alone.

“Kids these days.” Qrow said simply.

Ruby happened to glance up at him and waved excitedly. He waved back before turning away. He wandered the halls of Atlas, trying to memorize the new layout. It was always best to be cautious, even in ally territory. It had changed a lot since he was last here and before long, he was admittedly lost.

“All these hallways look the fucking same. Who designed this place!” he grumbled angrily.

He wasn’t even sure he was still on school grounds at this point! He hadn’t seen a guard in almost twenty minutes.

“I swear, if I ended up in some abandoned part of the building.” Qrow said looking around.

“Qrow?” Clover’s voice made him turn and Qrow stared at him.

“Oh thank god.” Qrow breathed.

“What are you doing in the Ace Ops dorms?” Clover demanded.

His arms were crossed, for once looking actually upset. Qrow sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Here we go.

“I’m lost.” Qrow admitted.

Clover blinked.

“Lost? You managed to get into a highly secure area of Atlas… while walking around lost?” Clover asked.

“Yes?” Qrow replied.

Clover snorted and then covered his mouth, looking away as his shoulders shook. Qrow huffed.

“Listen, man, I’m amazed by it too, ok? But you don’t have to laugh at me.” Qrow grumbled.

“I’m sorry. That’s just really funny.” Clover said as his chuckles died down.

“How so?” Qrow demanded.

“Well, my first day here, I did the exact same thing. Of course, it wasn’t the Ace Ops at the time. But I just thought it was a funny coincidence.” Clover said shrugging.

Qrow raised an eyebrow.

“Goodie for you, but can you please help me get out of here?” Qrow asked.

“Well, I don’t see why? I mean, we should use this time to get to know each other! My room is right over here.” Clover said and Qrow mentally sighed.

“Fine with me I guess.” Qrow said.

Not that he really had much of a choice. Clover unlocked one room and Qrow had to admit, it was rather nice.

“Nice digs.” Qrow said as he walked over to a small sitting area.

“Thanks. Ironwood let Schnee decorate them. She is the only one with fashion sense, or so I am told.” Clover said as he walked over to a small kitchenette and put the kettle on.

“I guess being a Schnee means you get that gene.” Qrow said slouching in his chair.

“Oh? Are you saying you aren’t impressed?” Clover asked.

Qrow shrugged.

“Ice Queen is great and all, but I prefer her sister. At least, she’s pleasant.” Qrow stated.

“I had heard you two had a rivalry thing going on. If I remember the story correctly, before Beacon fell, you attacked Schnee unprovoked, right?” Clover asked as he made some tea.

“Attacked is not the word I would use. I would call it more of a playful hello. And it's not a rivalry. I just like ruffling her feathers.” Qrow said smirking.

“You took out several of her guards.” Clover said as he brought the two cups over.

“Listen, if I was able to take them out so easily, then imagine if it had been an actual attack. It helped them know they should beef up security.” Qrow rolled his eyes as he took the cup.

“I don’t think she saw it that way.” Clover said sitting down.

Qrow shrugged.

“If you haven’t noticed, her and I don’t see eye to eye on anything, so not a surprise.” Qrow sipped his tea and made a face.

He was not a tea guy. Clover didn’t seem to have a problem though.

“I could see that. Why is that?” Clover asked curiously.

“Simple; she thinks everything that falls out of Jim’s mouth is the gospel. I know half of it is bullshit. So I call him out on it. She doesn’t like that.” Qrow stated.

Clover frowned.

“General Ironwood is just trying to keep the world safe.” Clover replied calmly.

“And I get that. Believe me, I do. But a good general understands criticism. Hell, if I wasn’t around, Jimbo might not be able to fit through doors with how big his head would get.” Qrow snickered and Clover’s frown just got deeper.

“General Ironwood is a good general. He is working his ass off to help people and keep everyone in line. Why do you have to push him on that?” Clover demanded.

Qrow put his tea down and leaned in, folding his hands together.

“Because the last person I trusted to know what they were doing, ended up dying at the Fall of Beacon. And then I had nothing.” Qrow stated calmly.

Qrow locked eyes with Clover’s and held them.

“Despite what you think of me, James is my friend. I see how stressed out he is, how tired he is and I want to help, but I don’t want him to make the same mistakes I’ve seen people make before. If that makes me the bad guy, so be it. But I am not going to let him end up like Ozpin did. Because James only gets one life, there is no do over and he dies, we are all screwed.” Qrow explained.

Qrow got up then, deciding this conversation was over.

“I’ll see you around.” Qrow said as he left.

The second the door closed behind him, the cup Qrow had used shattered and Clover frowned, curious.

Qrow let out a breath when he finally found his way back to his room. He had missed dinner, but he honestly wasn’t that hungry. As he opened the door, he paused and raised an eyebrow.

“Hm, I wonder who set this up.” Qrow sighed.

A tray with a cover sat on his table. A quick glance told him it was his dinner, but he wasn’t feeling that hungry. The conversation with Clover still circled in his head. Clover seemed to think the worst of him too and he didn’t know why that made him sad. He rubbed his eyes.

“I’m getting too old for this.” he muttered.

“You want to train alongside Qrow?” James said confused.

Clover nodded.

“Why?” Winter asked

“I think it will be a good experience for us both.” Clover stated.

James hummed and nodded slowly.

“Admittedly, you two will be working together quite a bit in the future, so getting some training in right now isn’t a bad idea.” James stated.

“Sir, are you sure? I mean… It’s Qrow.” Winter’s face didn’t change, but her tone did.

“And Schnee, I have told you before, your aversion to him is unbecoming of a huntress.” James replied.

Her spine straightened and she looked away.

“Very well. I shall grant this, but only if Qrow agrees.” James explained.

Clover saluted and left, humming as he made his way to the mess hall. He found Qrow in the very back, nursing a very cold cup of coffee and staring out the window.

“Amazing view, isn’t it?” Clover asked as he sat down.

Qrow’s eyes drifted to him.

“Yeah, as long as you're up here and not down there.” he replied.

Clover frowned before coughing.

“I spoke to General Ironwood this morning. He said it might be a good idea for us to train together.” Clover stated.

Qrow paused, cup halfway to his face before he looked at Clover.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Qrow demanded harshly.

“No?” Clover said confused.

“Then Jim and you have both lost your minds. You want to end up in the medbay or something?” Qrow asked coldly.

“Not particularly. I avoid it when I can.” Clover stated jokingly.

“Well, you are going to end up in the medbay if you think us training together is a great idea.” Qrow got up and looked like he was about to leave.

“Qrow, I want us to be able to work together as a team.” Clover said standing.

Qrow stood there before shaking his head.

“I’ve tried this whole team thing before and believe me, you don’t want to be on a team with me. You do your thing and I’ll do mine.” Qrow stated.

Qrow turned and walked away. As he did so, an entire table nearby collapsed. Thankfully, no one was sitting at it. Clover frowned before racing after him.

“So this is it then? Every time something you don’t like happens, you walk away? Or would you call it running?” Clover demanded.

Qrow grit his teeth. As they continued into the hall, bulbs on either side of them start to flicker and then returned to normal when he flicked his charm.

“Call it what you want. I don’t give a crap.” Qrow snarled.

“I just want to understand why you seem so against this!” Clover snapped.

“Because!” Qrow whirled on him and slammed Clover against the wall.

Clover tensed, feeling the border on the wall dig into his back. He stared at Qrow and saw a desperate man.

“Do you really think you’re the first person that’s tried to fix me? Do you really think you are the first person to try and show me how bright and beautiful the world is? Well, you aren’t and the last one who tried ended up dead. So save it. You can’t fix who I am.” Qrow said angrily.

Clover grabbed his hands and forced him to release Clover’s clothes.

“I’m not trying to fix you. I’m trying to help you. If you’ll let me that is.” Clover stated.

“Is everything ok over here?” the two looked up to see James and Winter coming towards them. 

James looked absolutely furious.

“It seems Qrow just can’t help, but attack military personal.” Winter said coldly.

Qrow rolled his eyes as he took a step back.

“Do I want an explanation for this?” James demanded.

“Actually, we have one, General Ironwood.” Clover said and Qrow shot him a confused look.

“You do?” Winter and James asked.

“We do?” Qrow parroted.

“We do! Qrow’s semblance reacts to strong emotions. I wanted to see how far it would go, so I pushed a few buttons. From what I can tell, it doesn't react to anger, but despair.” Clover said brightly.

“Despair?” Winter repeated.

“Yes. Anger makes it start, but isn’t strong enough to actually cause the bad luck. Despair, however, is strong enough that it overrides my good luck.” Clover explained.

“So what you’re saying is I’m a sad loser who causes bad luck when I’m upset?” Qrow asked.

“As far as I can tell, yeah.” Clover replied.

“That’s really, really pathetic.” Qrow stated.

Nearby, a wall started to crack and Clover tapped his charm to make it stop.

“But, it helps us out, doesn’t it? If we know what causes it, we can use that.” Clover said.

“Clover is right, Qrow. You’ve been trying to figure it out for years. If we now have an idea on what causes it, we can get ahead of the game. I think working with Clover might really work out for you.” James said.

Qrow frowned, looking at Clover from the corner of his eyes before sighing.

“I guess you have a point.” Qrow muttered.

Clover beamed and Winter just shook her head.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”


	2. Little Bit Of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow learns hope goes a long way.

Their first day training together went about as well as Qrow expected. Which was horrible. His semblance did just about everything possible to throw a monkey wrench into their training, only Clover’s quick wit and good luck managed to keep them from outright destroying the training area. When they were done, Qrow walked over to a bench outside the training area and sat down with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

“Well, that was certainly something.” Winter said as James and her came around the corner.

Qrow resisted the urge to growl at her. Her mocking tone did little to make him feel better. Nearby, Clover frowned, idly staring at the wall.

“Admittedly, it was a lot more than I expected. But hey, that’s what practice is for!” Clover said and Qrow groaned.

“I was worried you were going to say that.” he muttered.

James rubbed his chin, humming lightly. Qrow didn’t like that hum.

“What?” Qrow demanded.

“Perhaps you two need more than just to train together. Clover, your time on the Ace Ops has been phenomenal, but you very rarely go on missions without one of your teammates. I believe going on a mission with just the two of you might help you better than a simulated training.” James stated.

Qrow was starting to wonder what kind of bullshit James was spurting now.

“General Ironwood, I am not quite sure about that.” Winter replied.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. Ohh, it looked like the Ice Queen was finally growing some balls.

“Unfortunately for me, I agree with her. I don’t think we are ready for the real deal yet.” Qrow explained and Winter huffed.

James frowned as Clover sighed.

“Are you sure?” James asked.

“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.” Qrow replied.

James nodded, but he looked disappointed and Qrow hated that it ate away at him a little bit.

“Very well then. Perhaps in a few weeks. Carry on.” James nodded to them as he and Winter left.

“Don’t think we’re ready, huh?” Clover asked.

“Listen, you saw our training today. It went about as well as the first time I used Harbinger, which was awful. Being sent into the field now, as we are, is just calling for disaster.” Qrow stated, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Or it could work out in our favor! Unpredictably could be our strength!” Clover replied.

Qrow gave him a bored look.

“As of right now, all I want is the familiar feeling of coffee going through my veins.” Qrow stated.

And maybe some whiskey, if he was gonna be honest. Quitting cold turkey had been the worst idea he could have ever had, but while the headaches and oversensitibly to light was annoying, he was admittedly proud about how long he had held off for.

“Ah, that I can agree with.” Clover stated.

They walked to the mess hall, Clover waving to guards and students as they passed. He seemed rather popular, especially with the young huntresses of Atlus.

“Popular, huh?” Qrow asked as Clover managed to get away from another group of students desperate to talk to him.

“Huh? Oh, well, I suppose. The Ace Ops are considered the best of the best, after all. Maybe students here strive to make it on our team one day. What about you, Qrow?” Clover asked.

“Me?” Qrow replied.

“Yeah, I bet you were rather popular yourself.” Clover said with a smile and Qrow chuckled.

“Something like that. My professors would tell you I was nothing, but trouble, but the ladies seemed to like me.” Qrow rubbed his chin.

“Oh? Stories to tell, eh?” Clover chuckled warmly.

“A few. I mean, I’m no prude after all.” Qrow smirked.

As they entered the mess hall, they came across a rather odd scene.

“Um, Firecracker? What are you doing?” Qrow asked as he stared at Yang standing on the table.

“I would like to know the answer to that question myself, Marrow.” Clover said calmly, arms crossed as he stared at Marrow, standing on the other end of the table, weapon held above his head, ready to throw.

The two winced and slowly got off the table.

“Yang bet that I couldn’t catch my weapon if she hit it point blank with her gauntlets.” Marrow admitted.

“Tattletale.” Yang muttered.

“Sounds like something to test out in the training room, not the mess hall.” Clover said sternly.

“Firecracker, please don’t make dumb bets you know you can win. That’s just lame.” Qrow said amused.

Yang puffed out her chest and grinned.

“Hey, easy money is easy money.” Yang replied.

Marrow huffed at her.

“You so wouldn’t have won!” he snapped.

Yang rolled her shoulders.

“So you say.” Yang winked at him.

Clover sighed deeply and rubbed his nose.

“Marrow. Please.” Clover grumbled and Marrow’s shoulders slumped.

“Sorry.” he replied.

Qrow rolled his eyes and pat Marrow on the shoulder.

“Don’t let Yang get to you. She’s sneakier than she looks. If she’s trying to make a bet with you, don’t listen to her.” Qrow winked at her as Yang laughed.

The two eventually walked off and Clover glanced at Qrow.

“You shouldn’t encourage that kind of behavior.” he stated.

Qrow shrugged.

“With Yang, it’s best to let her get it out of her system. Keeping her cooped up too long is just asking for trouble.” Qrow sat as they walked over and got some coffee.

“I suppose, but Marrow is impressionable. He needs strict discipline.” Clover replied.

“Then keep him away from that whole team because none of them are a good influence.” Qrow said smirking as they sat down.

Clover hummed as he sipped his coffee. Qrow learned he liked it with more cream than Qrow could even stomach. He preferred his coffee black, thank you very much!

“Your nieces have quite the wild streak to them.” Clover said simply and Qrow chuckled.

“Yeah, they get that from me, mostly. Tai was a lot stricter than I was.” Qrow said.

Clover frowned.

“What about their mothers?” he asked.

Qrow paused and then sighed.

“Raven, my sister, left when Yang was a baby. Summer, Ruby’s mom, took over caring for her, but she’s passed on after Ruby was born. Tai and I were left to raise them both, which wasn’t easy. Especially when we were both still active huntsmen.” Qrow explained.

“I see. Left to their own devices a lot, huh?” Clover asked.

“Something like that. I think it made them closer.” Qrow glanced out the window to see Ruby and Yang walk by down below.

Yang ruffled Ruby’s hair, much to her annoyance and Qrow smiled when he saw Yang throw back her head with laughter at Ruby’s grumbling. Clover watched this all as well and hummed.

“I think you did a good job with them. Though, I have heard Ruby is driving Harriet absolutely nuts.” Clover smiled and Qrow nodded.

“She was always very curious. Making new friends, well she wasn’t the best for the longest time, but I’m glad she’s found friends like she has.” Qrow explained.

“Friends, huh?” Clover leaned back in his seat.

“Something wrong?” Qrow asked.

“Friends… well, that kind of thing isn’t exactly encouraged at Atlus.” Clover sighed.

Qrow turned his head and stared out the window.

“Yeah, I understand that mindset.” Qrow muttered.

“Oh? How so?” Clover asked.

“Raven was like that. No friends, only family. As far as she was concerned, friends were a weakness she couldn’t afford.” Qrow said darkly.

“It seems like to me she didn’t even value family in the end.” Clover pointed out.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Qrow sighed.

They sat in silence for a while, watching as students and staff came and went. Eventually, Clover stood up and stretched.

“I suppose we should get back to work.” Clover said holding out a hand.

Qrow raised an eyebrow, but took it, allowing Clover to help him up. It was a strange kind of warmth that passed between them and Qrow quickly pulled his hand back as he coughed into it, hiding the warmth on his cheeks.

“Let’s get going then.” Qrow said.

The next few days were rough. Training wasn’t going much better and Qrow was at his wit’s end.

“This isn’t working!” Qrow snarled, trying to fix his now burnt to a crisp top.

Sighing, he ripped it off and tossed it into a pile with his vest and cape, also burnt to a crisp. Thank god his pants were ok or the student body was going to see Qrow in all his glory.

“We just need to be patient. I think we are finally…” Clover, who came around the corner, stopped, staring.

Qrow looked up, confused, when he saw Clover staring at him.

“See something you like?” Qrow quipped without a second thought.

“Yes, actually.” Clover said, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side, as if he was actually appraising Qrow.

Qrow felt a flush rush to his cheeks. What was this? Why was he acting like this? This was not the first time he had been checked out by another guy, hell he had his fair share of hook-ups on both ends of the spectrum, so why did Clover’s green eyes, trailing over him, make him feel so self conscious? He rubbed the back of his neck and Clover seemed to realize something was wrong because he coughed and turned his back.

“A-Anyway. I think we almost had it on that last try! So far we found out that despair makes your semblance go out of control, but I think we just need to find the right emotion to keep it under control.” Clover said.

Qrow crossed his arms and frowned.

“What’s the opposite of despair then? Joy? Excitement? We’ve tried both of those.” Qrow asked.

“I think it’s hope.” Clover replied.

Qrow paused. Hope. Hope was something he had very little of. He had spent his life in one hopeless situation after another. From the moment of his birth, hope had been fleeting.

“Hope, huh? I think we are shit out of luck on that one.” Qrow shook his head.

“How so? I think we have a lot to be hopeful for. A day where Salem no longer exists. A day where huntsmen and huntresses aren’t needed anymore. A day where you and I can just be normal citizens.” Clover listed off simply.

Qrow snorted as he walked over and elbowed him.

“How is that a good situation? You are basically telling me one day, I’ll be out of a job.” Qrow said with a smirk.

Admittedly, he never considered what he would do if he was still around when Salem fell. Would the Grimm disappear completely? Would they still exist? Qrow wasn’t sure what he would do if being a huntsmen no longer an option.

“Well, I know what I would do.” Clover said as he handed over a shirt he had been holding. 

It was some Atlus Academy shirt, but Qrow threw it on anyway as he gathered his clothes and weapon. They left the changing room and started walking.

“Oh? And that is?” Qrow asked curiously.

“I’m gonna become a fisherman.” Clover said with a nod.

Qrow snorted and then started to laugh. He was imaging Clover in a hipweighers with a fishing pole in one hand and a tacklebox in the other.

“What?” Clover said.

“N-Nothing, it’s just funny.” Qrow waved him off.

They never knew they were being watched.

James idly walked the halls of Atlus, eyes trained on the tablet before him. Everything was coming along nicely. The arena was in place and the supplies were making their way to the mine with no issues. Team RWBY and JNR had taken a lot of missions off the Ace Ops shoulders, leaving them free to focus on more pressing matters.

A sudden laugh made him look up, startled to see Qrow and Clover walk out of the training area. Qrow was… laughing. James found himself staring, mainly because he hadn’t seen Qrow laugh so openly since they were young. So openly and honestly since before Summer had died. He stared, amazed to also see Qrow wearing an Altus shirt while walking beside Clover and how strange it was that Qrow had always told him over his dead body would he ever wear something with Altus’ insignia on it.

He lowered his tablet and let out a smile as Clover threw his arm around Qrow’s shoulders.

“Good for you, my friend.” James whispered.

Two days later, something changed. They were training again, some automated Grimm robot that Clover had decided they would fight. Things were actually going in their favor, the robot was almost down for the count and Qrow felt a spark of hope. Usually, at this time, thoughts of despair would circle in his head, clouding his judgement. Instead, he felt hope and that’s when it happened.

“Qrow!” Clover called, his fishing line sailing through the air towards Qrow’s hand. 

The Grimm was barreling down on him, jaws open. If he didn’t catch this line, it would be on him in a flash.

_ “I need the Grimm to stop.”  _ Qrow thought hopefully.

He felt a twinge of something and the Grimm suddenly tripped, a screw popping loose from one of it’s legs, sending it crashing to the floor. He grabbed the line and wrapped it around the Grimm’s muzzle, keeping its mouth shut. After that, they tied it up and Qrow nodded.

“Whew. Just in time, huh?” Qrow asked.

Clover looked at him funny.

“Just in time?” he questioned.

“Yeah, you hitting your charm.” Qrow pointed to his medal and Clover blinked.

“I didn’t hit my charm though. Both my hands were on my weapon.” Clover said confused.

Qrow paused and then looked at the Grimm.

“I saw the screw come out though?” he said walking over and picking it up.

“Atlus technology doesn’t fail that easily and this robot was just checked over before we started… bit of bad luck, huh?” Clover said without thinking.

Qrow looked at him and Clover looked back, eyes wide. Bad luck? Qrow swallowed and looked at the screw.

“Bad… luck?” he whispered.

“Qrow… you did it!” Clover said, face lighting up.

“I needed… just a second more. I needed the Grimm to stop.” Qrow said slowly.

Clover rushed over and hugged him and for a moment, Qrow hugged back because the rush of pure joy he felt was unbelievable. Had they finally done it? Had they cracked the code to his semblance? He buried his face in Clover’s neck and shivered, trying to hold back the tears. All these years, all these years and to think, all he needed was just a tiny bit of hope.

James watched the training and hummed, stroking his beard. Clover and Qrow had all, but broken down his door to show him the video of their fight. Winter had been less than pleased, but Clover had insisted that it was important and she had finally backed off. The giddiness they both had was amusing and as James watched the fight finish, his eyes widened a bit.

“A screw came loose?” James asked confused.

Qrow nodded and held it up, like a prize he was proud of.

“Atlus technology doesn’t just break like that.” Winter said calmly.

“Yeah, seems like a bit of bad luck, huh?” Qrow said with a smile and James finally caught on to what they were trying to show him.

“You figured it out. You figured out how to control your semblance.” James said in awe, sitting back in his chair.

Winter’s mouth dropped in shock, looking like she had just heard the most amazing thing. Clover nodded excitedly, eyes sparkling.

“I don’t believe it.” Winter whispered.

But her eyes stayed on the screw in his hand and James knew they had figured something out at least.

“Now that we know the key, we can focus on that.” Clover said with a nod.

Qrow let out and breath and he looked at the screw like it had all the answers. Maybe it did.

Training after that was still a bit rough. Qrow often fell back into old ways of thinking, but Clover was there by his side the whole time. It was easy to feel hopeful when Clover was by his side. It was easy to believe there was something to be hopeful for when he was around.

Qrow sat in the mess hall, idly staring out the window. Clover had gone on an important supply run with Elm and Vine this morning. He should be back soon, at least that’s what Qrow believed. Someone slid into the seat across from him and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Ice Queen.” he said with a nod.

“Qrow.” she replied coldly.

He looked around, noting they were two of four people in the mess hall and the other two weren’t paying them any mind. When Winter said nothing more, he let the silence hang for a little while.

“Can I help you?” he asked finally, sipping his coffee.

Clover had insisted on him trying it with some cream and though it killed him to admit it, it actually made the coffee somewhere drinkable. Qrow would take that secret to his grave before admitting it to anyone.

“Can we not talk as equals?” she asked politely and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Sure we can, but that means lowering yourself to my level. Can your pride handle that?” Qrow replied.

“Can your’s?” she quipped back.

Qrow smirked and she sighed before looking out the window.

“Thank you… for taking care of Weiss. For keeping her safe.” Winter said slowly.

Qrow paused, blinking.

“I didn’t really do anything. If anything, your sister kept me safe. She’s a hell of a lot stronger than she looks.” Qrow replied.

A soft smile graced Winter’s face and Qrow stared at her in amazement.

“Yes, I know.” she coughed and her face returned to being neutral.

“I read… the report. About what happened at Haven. About the attack.” her voice caught a bit and he sighed.

“I wasn’t sure if Weiss would tell you. I figured probably not, but I wanted you to know.” Qrow explained and she nodded.

“Thank you.” she whispered and he gave her a nod back.

They sat there for a while and Qrow was sure this was the longest they had even been in the same room as each other without arguing.

“Qrow, General Ironwood has told me a little about what you’ve experienced since the Fall of Beacon. We don’t normally see eye to eye on… well anything really… but I want you to know you are welcome here. At Atlus.” Winter explained.

Qrow paused and there was a moment where his chest felt light.

“Thank you, Winter.” he whispered and her lips tilted into a smile for a moment before she stood up.

“I must return to my duties.” she said with a nod before walking off.

Qrow watched her go and then looked at his cup. His hands shook a little, his throat was desperate for the burn of alcohol, but what had that ever done for him? Since being off the damn stuff, he had felt clearer, calmer, he was connecting to people on a level he never knew existed. He was repairing old relationships and even starting new ones. Fuck, for the first time in his life, he actually felt kind of stable?

He sat there for a while, just staring down at the coffee before he finished it and getting up. He left the mess hall, moving to the training area. There, he saw Harriet and Ruby testing out their semblances together and smiled. He moved to another part of the room and started up the training system. Pulling Harbinger from his back, he smirked.

“Come at me.” he said.

Qrow groaned as he lowered himself into his bed that night. Admittedly, using the highest settling alone was not the best idea, but the burn in his muscles felt amazing. There was also a giddiness inside him, he had been able to use his semblance without Clover’s help. Sure, it had been a little thing, but being able to control his semblance was a dream he never believed would come true.

He closed his eyes, ready to sleep the night away when there was a knock. He sighed, slowly got up and walked over to the door.

“Someone better be dying!” Qrow said as he opened the door.

Clover stood there, eye blackened, but fine.

“Whoa, what happened to you? You just get back?” Qrow said worriedly.

“Little trouble, no big deal. Uhh I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Clover said.

Qrow blinked and looked down, realizing he was in nothing, but sleep pants.

“Nah, I was just crawling into bed…” Qrow glanced at him and bit the bullet.

Clover actually looked rather tired himself. His clothes ruffled and his hair a mess. He looked like he could use a good night’s rest.

“There’s room for two, if you want.” Qrow said slowly.

Clover blinked at him, startled before smiling.

“I’d love to.” he replied.

Qrow invited him in and as Clover walked inside, Qrow was struck by the fact that he was limping.

“You’re hurt.” Qrow said simply and Clover nodded.

“Yeah… my luck didn’t quite work out.” Clover rubbed the back of his neck and Qrow felt a twinge of fear.

“Sit down. I’ll get the first aid kit.” Qrow sighed.

He went to the bathroom and when he came back out, Clover’s shirt was gone and he was unbuttoning his pants. Qrow swallowed hard, but tried to act like it didn’t bother him.

“How bad was it?” Qrow asked as he took Clover’s arm in his hand, grabbing bandages with the other.

“Not too bad. Ow. Just a sudden horde out of nowhere.” Clover replied as Qrow gently, but firmly wrapped the bruise on his arm.

Qrow’s brain immediately went to the worst possible scenario, but he pushed it back down. He hadn’t even been on this mission. He had nothing to do with the sudden horde. His bad luck couldn’t follow people.

“At least you’re ok.” Qrow moved on to the next wound he saw.

In the end, Clover had a black eye, a bruise on his arm and leg and a few cuts. When Qrow was done, he put all the supplies back as Clover looked himself over.

“Wow, you really know your stuff huh?” Clover asked.

“Years of practice, believe me.” Qrow said putting the first aid kit back.

“Oh, does that mean the next time I get injured, I can come here? I think I prefer you to the doctors in the medbay. My own little nurse.” Clover winked and Qrow snorted.

“I am not wearing a nurse outfit for you.” Qrow crossed his arms.

Clover stared at him, shocked, before bursting out into laughter.

“N-Not what I expected you to say, but thank you for that little image. I will treasure it for months to come.” Clover said between giggles.

“I will have you know, my legs look great in a skirt. I learned that first hand at Beacon.” Qrow said with a smirk and Clover almost fell off the bed with how hard he was laughing.

“S-Stop! I give! Don’t make me laugh anymore!” Clover said, clenching his stomach.

“Hey, what’s so funny? You don’t think I can rock a skirt?” Qrow demanded, but he found himself chuckling as well.

The banter was warm and intoxicating. Qrow had never laughed so earnestly with anyone. Clover made him feel, ironically enough, alive. Eventually, laughter faded away and Clover let out a yawn. Qrow returned his yawn before waving his hand.

“Pick a side. I’m not picky.” Qrow said with a shrug.

Clover smirked and settled down in the middle of the bed, eyebrow raised in challenge as he held his arms out. Oh, Qrow was going to get him for this, but right now, he was tired. He settled himself down in Clover’s open arms and the warmth of another person was enough to lull him into sleep.

“Uncle Qrow!” the pounding the next morning made Qrow groan.

He buried his face in the warmth before him and grumbled.

“This time, someone better be dying for real.” he hissed as he sat up.

Clover was dead to the world, not even twitching as Qrow climbed his way out of his arms and off the bed. He stumbled over to the door, his legs asleep from where they were twingled with Clover’s and he threw open the door.

“Pipsqueak, this better be good.” Qrow growled.

Ruby opened her mouth, but stopped, staring behind him. He was confused by her stare until two arms wrapped around his waist and Clover’s head rested on his shoulder.

“Got something to say, Ms. Rose?” Clover asked curiously.

Ruby’s face goes from shocked to beaming in seconds.

“HARRIET! HARRIET, COME HERE, IT’S HAPPENING!” Ruby’s disappeared in a flash of rose petals and Qrow was left standing there, confused until he felt Clover’s body shaking behind him, his face buried in Qrow’s neck as he laughed.

“Care to explain?” Qrow demanded.

Clover peeked at him and smiled.

“Apparently, Harriet and Ruby had a bet going. I guess Ruby just won.” Clover stated.

“Is that so? What kind of bet?” Qrow replied.

He leaned back against Clover’s embrace and wondered.

“From what I heard? Who would end up in whose bed first. Me in your’s or you in mine.” Clover said.

Qrow snorted and rolled his eyes.

“And I thought my kids were a bad influence. Sounds like to me your team is the bad influence here.” Qrow said simply.

“Maybe.” Clover said honestly.

Qrow stepped back and closed the door before humming.

“I’m still tired and it’s way too early for this.” Qrow declared.

“I second that idea. Back to bed we go.” Clover turned them both around and Qrow smirked.

A little bit of hope went a long way it seemed.


End file.
